Don Herold

Here is a detailed, SEO-optimized biography of Don Herold, along with some of his wittiest aphorisms.

Don Herold – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Don Herold — American humorist, cartoonist, writer and illustrator (1889–1966). Learn his life story, creative works, and many sharp, funny quotes.

Introduction

Don Herold (July 9, 1889 – June 1, 1966) was an American humorist, cartoonist, illustrator, and writer, best known for his witty essays, cartoons, and books.

He had the rare gift of combining visual humor with sharp verbal insight. His short humorous essays and aphorisms remain quoted today, especially his poem “If I Had My Life to Live Over” (often misattributed to others).

Early Life and Background

Don Herold was born in Bloomfield, Indiana, on July 9, 1889, to Otto F. Herold and Clara Dyer Herold.

He completed high school in 1907 and went first to the Art Institute of Chicago, then transferred to Indiana University, where he studied and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree (AB) in 1913.

He was active in the arts and cartoons from early on, contributing to college publications and honing his illustration skills.

In 1916, he married Katherine Porter Brown, and they had two children, one of whom was the writer Doris Herold Lund.

Career & Creative Works

Magazine Contributions & Cartooning

Herold contributed cartoons and humorous writing to prominent national magazines of his time, including Life and The Saturday Evening Post.

His cartoons often paired clever captions with simple drawings, amplifying the humor via juxtaposition of image and word.

Books & Essays

Don Herold published a variety of books combining essay, satire, illustration, and reflections on life, many in the mid-20th century. Some of his works:

• A Lap Full of Fun (1919)

• So Human (1924)

• Bigger and Better (1924)

• There Ought to Be a Law (1926)

• Our Compassionate Goldfish (1927)

• Strange Bedfellows (1930)

• Drunks Are Driving Me to Drink (1953)

• Humor in Advertising (1963)

• The Happy Hypochondriac (1962)

His 1953 poem “If I Had My Life to Live Over” is one of his most enduring pieces, often reprinted and widely attributed (sometimes incorrectly) to others.

Style & Themes

• Economy & Brevity: Herold’s strength lay in short essays and aphorisms.

• Humor & Self-Reflection: He balanced wit with insight about human foibles, regret, ambition, and everyday life.

• Visual + Verbal: As both cartoonist and writer, he linked image and text to deepen the effect.

• Irony & Paradox: Many of his sayings highlight ironic tensions (e.g., emotions, intelligence, appearance).

Legacy & Influence

• His poems and sayings continue to circulate, especially via quote collections.

• The “If I Had My Life to Live Over” poem has had a long afterlife, often misattributed to Jorge Luis Borges and others.

• His combination of cartooning and humor writing served as a model for humorists who merge illustration and text.

• Though less known now among general audiences, in the early to mid-20th century he was respected among magazine humorists and cartoonists.

Selected Quotes

Here are several of Don Herold’s best-known quotes (and aphorisms):

• “If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.”

• “Don’t ever slam a door, you might want to go back.”

• “The brighter you are, the more you have to learn.”

• “Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow.”

• “A humorist is a person who feels bad, but who feels good about it.”

• “There is more sophistication and less sense in New York than anywhere else on the globe.”

• “There’s one thing about baldness: it’s neat.”

• “Be kind to dumb people.”

• “It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant.”

• “Conversation: The slowest form of human communication.”